restaurants Archives | The London Mummy

Days Out Food

T Rex Grill : A New Restaurant To Take The Kids

It is always a delight taking the kids to restaurants where kids are the majority. I have written about our ability to restaurant clear in the past so a place that is aimed at kids is preferable. There wasn’t a table without a little nipper at The Natural History Museum’s newly opened T Rex Grill.

This family-friendly eatery is the perfect place to take your little grillers for a burger, mini pizza or ice cream sundae with a triceratops twist.

T Rex Grill is nestled near the Dinosaurs in the Green Zone.

The entrance has a few ‘live’ dinosaurs which kept the kids amused if there is a little bit of a queue.

At 1230 when we went there wasn’t much of one, but by the time we left a short one had built up.If you are really organised, you can book a table.

Drop them an email here to book (open 11-4pm)

The kids menu has a sweet prehistoric take on the words, although the choice is mainstream. This works for us though!

The adults menu is all freshly prepared in the vicinity. I (greedily) went for spare ribs that I had to wrestle off the kids and Alex (obviously) went for T bone steak.

The particular highlight was the pudding – to share. It included mini eggs and handmade dinosaur shaped chocolates!

If you are planning a day out at The Natural History museum, which if you haven’t done for a while – you should get down there. Yes it is majorly busy at the weekends but totally worth it.

As your kid gets older it becomes even better – you aren’t just going to see the ‘real’ T Rex!

If you like trying new places and need refuelling whilst you are at the museum, T Rex Grill is the restaurant to go to!

T Rex Grill

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Activities Days Out Family Life Food

Review of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co

Restaurants that really welcome children? Few & far between. I am always on the hunt for fun, relaxed & reasonable restaurants to take the kiddies where we won’t be looked upon like we have taken a bunch of leprechaun’s into the restaurant. So when newly opened Bubba Gump Shrimp Co asked us to come and visit them, we were delighted to.

After arriving in the West End slightly early, we killed some time Lillywhites for old times sake (which I might add is still pretty cheap despite being in the centre of tourist mecca). After that brief interlude of looking at junior cricket bats (I am outnumbered) we headed to the restaurant, where we found the neon lights of Bubba’s pretty easily.

It is a stone’s throw from Piccadilly tube, based in the classic Trocadero. Be warned there is a shop at the entrance though. We say in advance ‘Just so you know, this is a treat in itself. We are not buying anything extra,’ which now seems to do the trick if they know ahead of time.

The restaurant is a tribute to the film ‘Forrest Gump’ and features a menu of comfort food from the American South that reflects the film’s setting in Alabama. Shrimp is of course the specialty but there’s something to delight everyone on the menu.

After an excitable wait downstairs, we were led upstairs past all the original memorabilia.

I especially liked all the words of wisdoms that were sporadically placed over the walls in amongst costume’s and prop displays.

We were given a booth opposite the a large TV that aired rolling repeats of all the Tom Hanks movies he had been in.

We had Forrest Gump which was fun.

First things first, we ordered drinks. Not usually one for cocktails – I entered the spirit of things and went for their Alabama Southern Punch. That definitely chilled me out!

We ordered their signature dishes such as ‘After The Storm – Bucket of Boat Trash’ and ‘Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp’ which were vast and delicious.

The kids had the ‘Bus Bench Burger & Hubba Bubba Popcorn Shrimp which kept them quiet for a considerable amount of time.

For pudding, I ordered Chocolate Chip Cookie Sunday. It was basically the size of my face and I thought there is no way I will be able to eat it all… Will leave it your imagine whether I did or not! ha

The children’s pudding was pretty unbeatable. Move over Build a Bear, this was ‘Build Your Own Sundae!’ A trio of toppings and a mountain of ice cream.

We had a great time and will definitely head back for a special occasion. If you are looking for a fun place to take the family one weekend, I highly recommend Bubba’s.

Not only is it an education in deep South American history (!) it is relaxed – you want have to be shhhhing them every 5 seconds! (or is that just me!), easy to get to and pretty reasonable.

Make sure you book though as it is very popular!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co

13 Coventry Street, London W1D 7AB

0203 7 635 288

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Food

Date Night : Island Grill Restaurant

Based in the heart of Bayswater on the edge of Hyde Park, Island Grill Restaurant is attached to the Lancaster London Hotel.

It is a cosmopolitan restaurant perfectly suited to those who are looking for good hearty London cuisine with a varied menu suited to both men and women.

With its mahogany interiors and low lighting, it is a great restaurant to escape the hustle and bustle of the tourist mecca of central London and if you get a window table a fun place to people watch.

It is famous for its cheese board and the steak was top notch. The winter salad also hit the spot.

There is a good kids menu too, so if you have them in tow it is family friendly that welcomes little ones.

Ratings

Ambience : 3 The low lighting and candles on the table make this a good evening venue. During the day it is down to personal preference, but I have never been too keen on mahogany tables and brown chairs, but if that’s your thing…

Service : 4 The waiters were so nice and attentive.

Value : 4 Considering it is a central London location, with the generous portions all reasonably priced, it is good value for money.

Taste : 4 Perfect for those on the Atkins Diet – the Grill menu is superb, our steak was tender and tasty. Lots of varied cuts to choose from.

Overall : 4 Despite no particular ‘novelty factor’ which we usually go for, it is a great central London restaurant, perfect as a pit stop before or after the theatre in particular.

Island Grill Restaurant

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Food

Date Night : Zizou Tagine, Balham

When it comes to date night, if we don’t plan, we drive around wondering where to go and invariably end up at a favourite.

However, I love a recommendation and trying somewhere new, so we were delighted to be invited to Zizou Tagine in the heart of Balham. This was one date night we knew what we were going and couldn’t wait!

We arrived at Zizou Tagine, to an authentic entrance with the embroidered Moroccan straw bags lining the heavy set Moroccan style door. You can see my debut YouTube clip off of me outside about to go in here. (Don’t laugh – I am just learning, it took a few takes!)

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMiCRPTpPzA[/embedyt]

It was like stepping into a restaurant in Jemaa el-Fnaa. We were greeted with a warm welcome by the manager (who was the manager at Momo’s in the West End for 5 years) and showed to our table in the corner.

The lighting was low and colourful and the tables low with genuine Moroccan wares dotted around.

One of the great things about this restaurant, is it’s Bring Your Own, so no searching a wine menu for your old favourite – just bring it with you.

We started with lots of small sharing plates. A highlight was the honey coated bitesize beetroot plate and aubergine dip.

We were gently advised not too eat too much as we had plenty more to try on the next course. We went with the manager’s recommendation of trying the Lamb Barkouk Tagine (prunes) and the Chicken Djaj Tagine (with lemon and olives) accompanied by cous cous and Moroccan bread. Yummmmmy.

We finished with Moroccan sweets and the most delicious mint tea. I am usually adverse to anything ‘herbal’ but it was sensational.

Compliments to the chefs! Loved the open kitchen.

At the weekends, the downstairs is open too.

If you are a loss and want to branch away from your usual haunts – you won’t go wrong going to Zizou Tagine! We are thinking of taking the kids back one weekend to give them a different cullinary experience…

Rating 0-5

Ambience : 5 This is a great place in the evening, especially as the nights draw in.

Service : 4 We didn’t feel rushed but they were attentive when we needed them.

Value : 4 Very reasonable and the BYO is a good way to keep the cost down.

Taste : 4 If you like Moroccan, you will love it!

Overall 4/5

zizoutagine.com

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Activities Days Out Family Life Food Places

Cocktails & Mocktails

If you are feeling a bit fried over half term, meet up with a friend and take the tribe to Balans Soho Society at the Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush for a cocktail.

Ok, so the Westfield gives me a slight headache if I spend too long in there (although there is loads of free stuff that would keep the kids amused such as the ‘musical armchairs’ and a good dose of lego building in the lego shop to name a few).

We went to the Kids Club Cinema first. It is on every Saturday and a Sunday at 1030. (I don’t advise going on a Sunday though as I snuck out with the youngest to do some shopping but hte shops didn’t open till 12. Of course. Doh.)

Away from the main concourse of restaurants, Balans Soho Society is a little gem of a restaurant not only serving all your favourites beautifully, they have just started a Cocktail and Mocktail menu for you and the little ones. (The former for you, the latter for them – unless they are a bit hyper then knock them out with a cocktail – joke).

They are presented exquisitely and taste as good as they look. I went for a gin based ‘Mummy’s Pick Me Up’. Alex had a slightly more manly sounding ‘The Society Teddy Bear(!)’ which included bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon and cranberry. The kids tried all of the mocktails – the favourite was unsurpsingly ‘Cheeky Little Monkey!’ We were even allowed to take home the bear bottles!

Icce cream, pancakes AND maple syrup. We rolled out of the restaurant! The kids from food and ourselves from one or two ‘Teddy Bears!’

Try it, you will be looked after so well – the staff are fun & friendly (especially Elias who had of averting disasters before they happened!)

balans.co.uk

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